NEWS UPDATE:
17/02/08
Increased mining exploration in the William Creek area!
See recent Prominent Hill Mine photos.
View new photos of the spectacular Anna Creek Painted Hills!
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ANNA CREEK STATION:
THE HISTORY OF ANNA CREEK STATION:
- Anna Creek Station
is well known as the largest cattle station in the world, covering an
area of 34,000 sq. kms (6 million acres). It is still 8,000 sq. kms
larger than its nearest rival, Alexandria Station, which is situated
in the Northern Territory of Australia. The largest American cattle station
(ranch) is 3,000 sq. kms.
- Anna Creek Station was originally
located at Strangways Springs (see map) when first purchased by Julius
Jeffrey's, John Warren and William Bakewell in January
1863. The partnership mainly ran sheep and in “The Great Drought
Years” between 1864 and 1866 was stocked with 7,300 sheep.
Sheep were constantly subjected to
attacks by dingoes so cattle became the main focus of the station.
Limited flocks of sheep were kept about the homestead for domestic
purposes.
The station was relocated to its present
site in approximately 1872.
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HISTORY OF MANAGEMENT:
- John Hogarth managed Anna Creek Station
until 1893 followed by his younger brother Thomas until 1913. George
Warren followed for 12 months, then his younger brother Francis until
1918. The station was then sold in 1918 to Malcolm Reid and Leslie
Taylor.
- Malcolm Reid was a brother of
Sidney Reid, who was married to Elma, a daughter of Sir Sidney Kidman.
It is generally considered that Anna Creek Station came into
Kidman’s hands in 1934 but in fact Kidman interests did possess
33% of the Anna Creek Shareholding by at least 1927. Reid continued to
manage the property until the formation of the “Strangways –
Peake” syndicate in 1934 when Kidman placed his own manager,
Archibald McLean, on the property.
- Anna Creek Station was actually the
last of three pastoral leases to be combined and be managed under a
single manager (Archibald and Son, Neil McLean 1934-1954, Richard
(Dick) Nunn 1954-1984, Stuart & Pam Nunn 1984 – 1994 and Grant
and Tracey Mc Sporran 1994 – 2002; Randall and Tania Crozier 2002 - ).
The others being:-
Peake Station which has been a part of the Kidman Holdings since 1898
and the Stuart’s Creek Station component which was incorporated in
1918.
- S. Kidman & Co. sold the bulk of
the Stuart’s Creek Station to Western Mining Corporation Resources
Ltd in 1998 but retained the Northern most portion of
approximately 1,000 sq. kms and joined it on to their Anna Creek
lease. With Kidman’s purchase of a majority shareholding in the Anna
Creek Station in 1934, the three pastoral leases were combined with
central management being established at the Anna Creek Homestead where
it remains today.
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PRESENT DAY:
- Presently, Anna Creek
Station is carrying 3,000 head of cattle due to the current drought
which started back in 2001.
- There are 15 people living on the
station with another 3 on the outstation – Peake.
- Anna Creek Station is one of 13 Kidman
properties and outstations throughout Australia.
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